Catullus 100-108

Original Latin

C. ad Marcum Caelium furum

Caelius Aufillenum et Qvintius Aufillenam

flos Veronensum depereunt iuvenum,

hic fratrem, ille sororem. hoc est, quod dicitur, illud

fraternum vere dulce sodalicium.

cui faveam potius? Caeli, tibi: nam tua nobis

perspecta ex igni est unica amicitia,

cum vesana meas torreret flamma medullas.

sis felix, Caeli, sis in amore potens.

CI. ad inferias

Multas per gentes et multa per aequora vectus

advenio has miseras, frater, ad inferias,

ut te postremo donarem munere mortis

et mutam nequiquam alloquerer cinerem.

quandoquidem fortuna mihi tete abstulit ipsum.

heu miser indigne frater adempte mihi,

nunc tamen interea haec, prisco quae more parentum

tradita sunt tristi munere ad inferias,

accipe fraterno multum manantia fletu,

atque in perpetuum, frater, ave atque vale.

CII. ad Cornelium Nepotem

Si quicquam tacito commissum est fido ab amico,

cuius sit penitus nota fides animi,

meque esse invenies illorum iure sacratum,

Corneli, et factum me esse puta Arpocratem.

CIII. ad Silonem

Aut sodes mihi redde decem sestertia, Silo,

deinde esto quamvis saevus et indomitus:

aut, si te nummi delectant, desine quaeso

leno esse atque idem saevus et indomitus.

CIV.

Credis me potuisse meae maledicere vitae,

ambobus mihi quae carior est oculis?

non potui, nec, si possem, tam perdite amarem:

sed tu cum Tappone omnia monstra facis.

CV. ad Mentulam

Mentula conatur Pipleium scandere montem:

Musae furcillis praecipitem eiciunt.

CVI.

Cum puero bello praeconem qui videt esse,

quid credat, nisi se vendere discupere?

CVII. ad Lesbiam

Si quicquam cupido optantique optigit umquam

insperanti, hoc est gratum animo proprie.

quare hoc est gratum nobis quoque carius auro

quod te restituis, Lesbia, mi cupido.

restituis cupido atque insperanti, ipsa refers te

nobis. o lucem candidiore nota!

quis me uno vivit felicior aut magis hac est

optandus vita dicere quis poterit?

CVIII. ad Cominium

Si, Comini, populi arbitrio tua cana senectus

spurcata impuris moribus intereat,

non equidem dubito quin primum inimica bonorum

lingua exsecta avido sit data vulturio,

effossos oculos voret atro gutture coruus,

intestina canes, cetera membra lupi.

My Translation

Catullus 100: Choose Wisely 

Caelius loves Aufilenus, 

and Quintus loves Aufilena – 

for these flowers of Verona’s youth they burn: 

this one for the brother, 

that one for the sister.

That’s what they mean when they say 

“true fraternal affection!” 

Who should I favor? Why you, Caelius–

our friendship has been tested, 

having survived the fire, 

when a mad flame scorched the very marrow of my bones.

Be lucky, Caelius, 

and be strong in love. 

Catullus 101: Goodbye

I come, brother, 

carried through many nations and over many seas.

I come, brother,

to these mournful funeral processions

to give you the last gift of the dead,

and speak, in vain, to your silent ashes. 

Fortune has taken you from me, 

my poor brother–

taken you so unjustly. 

Take from me these things, 

handed down in our fathers’ custom

and soaked deeply with a brother’s tears, 

as a sorrowful offering to the dead. 

Forever, brother: Hail!

And farewell.  

Catullus 102: Secrets 

If anything has ever been 

sworn to secrecy by a loyal friend, 

whose faith, seeping to the depths of his heart, is renowned,

I am bound by that same law. Cornelius,

think of me as turned into a pure Harpocrates!

Catullus 103: A Choice  

Silo, either give me back my ten thousand sesterces, please,

and then be as savage, as wild, as you like, 

or, if you love money so much, then stop, please,

being, at the same time, 

savage and wild,

and a pimp. 

Catullus 104: You Monster 

Do you think I could speak ill 

of my entire world–

my girl, dearer to me than both of my eyes?

I certainly could not, 

and if I could, 

it would prove I do not love her 

so desperately. 

But you, with Tappo? 

You make every kind of monstrosity. 

Catullus 105: “Poet” 

Mentula “the Cock” tries to 

climb the Parnassian mountain. 

The Muses and their pitchforks 

toss the Cock out headfirst. 

Catullus 106: Doing Business 

When you see an auctioneer 

with his pretty boy, what can you think except:

that boy wants to sell himself! 

Catullus 107: A Surprise Return 

What truly delights the heart, 

is receiving something, unexpectedly,

that it yearns for:

that joy for me, dearer than even gold, 

is you returning, Lesbia, to me,

who yearns for you. 

Return, longed for and unhoped for–

return and give yourself back to me!

O how that day will be made so much brighter, 

for who could live happier than I?

Who could say they wish for a better life than mine? 

Catullus 108: What You Deserve 

Cominius, if the people can endure 

your grey old age– stained with your filthy habits– 

I have no doubt that

first, that tongue of yours,

the enemy of decent men,

will be cut out and fed to a starving vulture. 

Next, your eyes, gouged out, 

a crow’s black throat will swallow.

Then, the guts will go to the dogs, 

the rest of you to the wolves.